


Withholding Evidence

by Writingwife83



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Romance, Sherlock Holmes Has Feelings, Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-14
Updated: 2016-06-14
Packaged: 2018-07-14 23:23:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7195190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writingwife83/pseuds/Writingwife83
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock is a bit confused by the sudden cold shoulder from Molly, especially when he thought their new relationship was going so very well. Even a consulting detective can't solve a mystery without the needed evidence!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Withholding Evidence

**Author's Note:**

> This was born from a promp by the ever lovely reader and fellow writer darthsydious. I won't explain the prompt yet though. I'll let you read through and I'll see you at the bottom of the page! ;)

Sherlock sat next to John on the park bench with his arms crossed and mouth in a little pout.

“I don’t understand.”

John chuckled. “Well it is comforting to hear you say it once in a while.” One glance over at the large child made him wipe the smirk from his lips and clear his throat. “Right, sorry.”

“I truly don’t understand, John,” he repeated more forcefully. “What did I do? What have I done that was so wrong? I’ve been over the past month in my mind about a dozen times and I can find nothing deserving of a sudden cold shoulder! It makes absolutely no sense!”

John drew a deep breath and shrugged. “Honestly, Sherlock, you might just need to be a bit more patient. I’m sure Molly will explain herself eventually. And I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think.”

“Not as bad as I think?” Sherlock practically growled. “It’s been a total of eleven days now that she’s been very obviously avoiding me. She’s never available when I’m going to be coming in to Bart’s, I’ve tried calling and it always goes to voice mail and she only answers later by text, and I’ve even tried stopping by her flat but she didn’t open the door.”

“Maybe she wasn’t home?” John attempted.

“No, I’m almost positive she was. And this is all a very stark contrast to how things were in the three months prior, since the beginning of our actual relationship I mean. She seemed eager to spend any possible moment with me!” he exclaimed, gesturing dramatically. “Things were going well, John…really well.”

“I see.”

There was a brief moment of silence and Sherlock wasn’t satisfied with John’s flat response.

“And when I say really well, John, I mean _really_ -“

“Yeah ok, I get it!” John quickly cut him off with a look of distaste. “I think I know where you’re headed with that, Romeo, and there’s no need to further convince me.” He shook his head for a second before continuing. “Look, I don’t think there’s any real answer I can give you, mate. You’ve got to wait on Molly and I’m sure she’ll give you a perfectly logical explanation soon enough! But I know one thing for certain. No good will come of pushing her! So quit demanding to see her and maybe try a different tone to your communication. Like…I don't know, maybe just saying, ‘if there’s anything you’re going through I want you to know I’m here for you.’ I mean, maybe she’s got some sort of stress going on right now. She could be having job problems or health problems or-”

“Health problems?!” Sherlock repeated in horror as he sat forward and glared at his friend. “Molly is perfectly healthy, what could possibly be wrong with her?!”

John put his hands up defensively. “I didn’t say she _is_ having health problems! I’m just giving some possible examples, ok?! Don’t get angry at me!”

Sherlock slowly deflated and sat back against the bench again, annoyed at even the suggestion of danger to the precious woman. “I just wish she’d talk to me,” he said in a small voice. “I can’t…figure her out if she won’t have anything to do with me.”

John laughed a little. “You’re going to continue working at ‘figuring out’ the woman you love for a very long time. It’s not a skill you’ll ever become an absolute expert in. Best of luck to you though.” He finished with a firm and friendly clap on his friend’s shoulder before rising from his seat. “Let me know what happens, ok?”

Sherlock muttered some sort of agreement, but continued lost in his own thoughts as John strolled off to go home to his family. He was hyper aware that he had no one to retreat home to. The woman who had quickly become his family...was sadly absent at the moment.

* * *

 

GOOD MORNING. –SH

It was twenty minutes before the reply came.

HI, SHERLOCK…MORNING. :) –MH

The smiley face made his heart beat faster and gave him a tiny sliver of hope. He decided not to let this so far pleasant exchange be wasted.

I MISS YOU, MOLLY. –SH

He waited ten minutes and no reply came. So he bravely, and gently, tried again.

WHATEVER IT IS, I HOPE YOU KNOW I’M HERE IF YOU NEED ME. SURELY YOU MUST REALIZE THAT I’VE DEDUCED SOMETHING IS BOTHERING YOU. –SH

Sherlock stared down at his phone for a full half hour after sending that message. Finally he tossed it onto the table in frustration and set about analyzing the last of the tissue samples that Molly had given him when he’d last been in her good graces. He gave up hope for the rest of that morning. Clearly she wanted nothing to do with him anymore, and there was little he could do to fix it. This was ridiculous! She was acting like more of a child than he’d been accused of many times over his lifetime!

But at the height of his frustration, his phone finally danced across the table with a message alert. His irritation instantly forgotten, he lunged at and grabbed his phone to read greedily.

I MISS YOU TOO, SHERLOCK…I REALLY DO. AND I’M SORRY. I KNOW I’VE BEEN DISTANT. BUT I’VE TAKEN SOME TIME AND DONE LOTS OF THINKING, AND I’M READY TO TALK NOW. CAN I COME TO BAKER STREET AFTER MY SHIFT TODAY? –MH

Sherlock didn’t pretend to be excellent at flowery and affectionate words, so he simply stuck to instant acceptance of her offer. He could always shower her with words and acts of affection once she was here…which he now could hardly wait for.

I’LL BE WAITING WITH THE KETTLE ON AT 6. –SH

THANK YOU. SEE YOU SOON. –MH

Sherlock set his phone down and clapped his hands together. Perhaps there was hope after all!

* * *

 

Molly climbed the stairs up to 221B and found that with each step she felt her fear increase. But despite her concerns, she had also come to terms with everything. She realized that there was nothing to do in this situation but to be honest. She certainly couldn’t run or hide forever. And ultimately, she had concluded that however Sherlock reacted didn’t change how she felt and how she would act. She could only hope that it wouldn’t be too heartbreaking.

After knocking, a very eager Sherlock Holmes quickly opened the door for her and ushered her inside. She gave him a nervous smile as she walked over and stood by the kitchen where he was preparing the pot of tea he’d promised.

“Thanks for letting me stop by,” Molly finally said as he set the cups out.

“I confess I’m a bit relieved that you wanted to,” he answered, giving her an endearingly shy smile.

Molly let out a little sigh. “Ok look, like you said, I do realize you would have deduced something was bothering me and I was purposefully avoiding you. You’re right, that’s all true. And I suppose that the truth behind my avoiding you is that if I was around you, you’d probably be able to deduce _exactly_ what it is that was troubling me.” She held her head up bravely. “But I’ve decided that it’s time you should do that, so…go ahead.”

Sherlock cocked his head and frowned at her. “You want me to-“

“Deduce me, yes,” Molly confirmed. “It’s ok, just…do what you do best. I’m sure it’ll take you less than sixty seconds. And it’ll also save me the actual confession.”

Sherlock regarded her seriously and then finally nodded. He stepped aside from the tea preparation and she could see the look in his eyes shift. He became the brilliant consulting detective in the space of a breath, and it was unnerving to know exactly what he could do…and exactly what he would discover.

As his eyes traveled over her from head to toe, Molly could practically see what he was seeing, bit by bit. No doubt he’d see the fact that she looked a little pale and tired. There was also the chance he’d notice she’d recently been to the pharmacy, since a script bag was sticking out of her tote that she’d set by her feet. There was also a sleeve of plain crackers partly visible and a bottle of water. But likely most notable to him of all was the fact that she was wearing the baggiest of her baggy work trousers combined with a sweater that fit unusually snugly across the chest at the moment…due to recent increased breast size.

She saw the answers wash over him and his shock was projected quite visibly in his face and demeanor. He even reached out and grasped the back of one of the kitchen chairs. Seeing that he’d reached the inevitable conclusion, Molly spoke up.

“I’m sorry it took me almost two weeks to tell you. I’ve been, you know, processing everything myself and…and well, I’ve been so afraid to break the news. I just- I didn’t know what to say.” She shrugged helplessly.

Sherlock continued staring at her in unchanged shock.

“I know this isn’t what you wanted or what we planned…maybe not ever! I don’t know! I mean, we never really discussed it after all. The whole subject of…children.” The actual verbal admission made her heart race. “And I just- well I felt like I knew your feelings on the matter and that didn’t help. I stood there a couple weeks ago and stared at that blasted little plus sign on the plastics stick, and all I could think about was that time in the park when we were looking after Lizzie Watson and someone thought she was ours. Your response was, ‘ _God no_! I’m just the uncle!’ And you sounded so…” She stopped and had to compose herself for a second. “You sounded so horrified at the idea that you could be someone’s father. And of course that was all I could think of as I stared at the positive test! All I could hear was what you said that day.” Molly shook her head and stared down at her clasped hands.

She didn’t notice how he stepped over quietly and stopped right in front of her. Well, she didn’t notice till she saw his hand reach out and gently press against her abdomen. Molly’s eyes shot up to meet his wide stormy ones.

“Do you mean it?” Sherlock whispered. “There’s a tiny little life growing…just there?”

Molly’s eyes instantly filled with tears, because that was when she knew for certain. Here was this grown man, always brilliant and logical in his thinking abilities, staring at her with eyes full of almost childlike awe and wonder at a concept that he could easily call commonplace according to his typical scientific point of view. Yes, that was when she knew how he really felt.

“You’re happy,” she whispered back. It was a statement, but there was a bit of a question hidden in it as well, seeing as she felt like this was a bit unexpected.

“What else could I possibly be, Molly?” He shook his head and his lips cracked a tiny smile. “It's a bit of you and a bit of me…growing into something completely new and wonderful. Happy only scratches the surface!” His fingers splayed against her blouse and his thumb gently caressed the still rather flat surface.

“B-but we,” Molly wiped at her eyes as she went on. “We were just starting out and we’ve both waited so long and I was just so afraid you’d be disappointed that things would suddenly be different again. I was ready to go forward without you and raise this baby and that’s what I was prepared to say today. I-I’m sorry I doubted you.” Tears began falling freely again and Molly covered her face.

Sherlock slipped his arms around her and she rested her shrouded face on his chest. They were silent for a few moments as Molly softly wept with relief, remorse, shock, excitement, and some inevitable lingering fear.

“Molly, I’m sorry for the way my words from a few weeks ago stuck with you,” he whispered into her hair. “But you have to understand, I only said what I did because at the time I _wasn’t_ a father.” Sherlock took her shoulders and gently eased her off his chest to look at him. “Now I am.”

Molly let out another sob but it was accompanied by a happy smile. “God, I can’t believe we’re doing this!”

"Best possible experiment,” he said with a smirk.

Molly gave him a brief warning look.

“I mean that in the most sentimental and loving way of course,” he said, pulling her in close again and leaning down to kiss her still salty lips.

Molly wrapped her arms around his neck, reveling in the heady emotions that swirled around this kiss and everything it meant. After a moment, Sherlock pulled back just enough to get some words out.

“You had me rather confounded for these past twelve days. I could only conclude you wanted nothing more to do with me.”

Molly wasn’t much in the mood for talking anymore. She was suddenly overwhelmed with impatience to get back to kissing this man she’d been missing like crazy. This man who was flawed but perfect, infuriating but intoxicating, childish at times…but the proud father of her child.

She threaded her fingers into the short soft curls at the back of Sherlock’s neck and tugged him back toward her lips. “Silly man,” she whispered, and she could feel his hold around her automatically tighten at the tone of her voice. “I want _everything_ to do with you.”

**Author's Note:**

> So now I can tell you that darthsydious' prompt was for Molly to have a "whoops" sort of pregnancy and be afraid to tell Sherlock. And naturally all I could imagine was that she wouldn't want to see him at all. She'd know that wouldn't stay secret for long if she were actually in his presence lol! Thanks for this prompt, Sydney. I had fun with it. ;) And thanks to the ever elusive (at least to you guys lol) real life bff "pillowslave," (ffn name) who gave this a read through before I posted. Those typos can't just find themselves. ;D


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